Traumland (Dreamland)
A Piatnik game for 2-4 players
Designed by Hartmut Witt
Rules Translation by Chris Mellor
Typed by Mike Siggins
Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins
Version 1.0, 6th May 1996
Contents
53 fantasy playing cards.
1 rulebook
The Cards
Value Cards: These have the value 1-11 with four different corner
illustrations and in four colours - red, blue, yellow and green. There
is also one card with a value of 12 which is only used to designate
the highest rank in the last round, and it not used at other times.
The Divine Card: There are four of these in the game.
The Dreamer: There are four of these in the game also. It can be used
as any value, even as a divine card.
The Aim of the Game
All players start the game on ranking one. During the game rounds
they attempt to gain tricks with which they will then rise up the
rankings. Each trick won corresponds to an extra ranking. If a player
arrives at level 12, he has almost won. But only almost, since if
another player reaches 12 later that round, he is deemed the victor.
So it pays to arrive at the right time.
Preparation
The 12 card is separated out and placed to one side. For each player,
take one 1 card from the deck and place it in front of them (the
colour is not important here). This designates that they are at rank,
or level, 1. The remaining cards are shuffled and dealt out.
With 4 players, deal all the cards - 12 each.
With 3 players, there is one card left over - 16 each.
With 2 players, 10 cards are not dealt - 20 each.
The Game
The player to the left of the dealer plays any card. The next player, if
he wishes to win the trick,must play a higher card of the same
colour. He can also kill off the colour with a divine card, or set a
higher value with a dreamer card. The highest value in a colour is 11.
However, a divine card beats an 11. This is the only card that can do
this.
A divine card can be played on any colour and any value, but NOT on
another divine card. The only cards that can be played on a divine
card are a) a 1 of any suit or b) a dreamer card. Both of these cards
revive the trick from divine intervention. If a dreamer card is played
in this way, the player laying it chooses freely which suit colour it
will represent.
The Trick
If you cannot, or do not wish to, beat a previously laid value card or
divine card then you may pass. Your turn is passed by and it is the
next player's turn. If all the players pass and it is again the turn of
the player who laid the top card, he wins the trick. He takes the pile
of cards (which can be any number, even one) and places it in front
of him. He then leads any value card to start the next trick.
NB Each trick counts only one point, or level, regardless of how many
cards it contains.
End of the Round
A round ends as soon as one player has played his last card or has
completed and won a trick with a divine card. All the remaining
cards are placed in the middle of the table. Each player counts the
number of tricks he has won and adds this number to his current
level. He then takes a new card from the deck showing his new level
and places it in front of him, returning the previous 'marker' card to
the deck.
The cards are again shuffled and dealt. The new round begins with
the player with the lowest dream level card. In the case of a tie, the
player to the left of the highest ranked player begins.
End of Game
As soon as a player reaches level 12 (present level plus tricks won),
he retires from the game. He takes the 12 card and places it above
his previous rank. If the player were to receive another trick, he
would have to go back to level 1 and begin again [Which begs the
question what does retire mean? Presumably he takes the 12 card
but keeps playing in that round? Or is it optional to retire?]
If a player retires, which is only possible by reaching rank 12, the
player to his left starts the next trick. The round continues until one
player has played his last card or a divine card wins a trick. Should
another player reach level 12 in that round, he takes the 12 card
from the first 'winner', who now loses. Should more than two players
reach 12 in the same round, the last one to do it wins.
Official Variant
The player with the most tricks beyond 12 wins.